Iran’s Occupied Territories
“Collective punishment” is a term used often used to describe Israel’s retaliation against Hamas terrorist attacks. Tehran is the first government to talk in the strongest possible terms of the actions of the Israeli government. The Iranian regime’s claim to represent the interests of Arabs better than the Arab League is belied by the brutal persecution of indigenous Ahwazi Arabs living within its own territory, which have been under direct rule from Tehran since the end of self-government in 1925.
This week Iran cut off drinking water supply to Arab villages along the left bank of the Shatt al-Arab, causing social unrest and fears of an outbreak of disease in the indigenous population. Ahwazi Arabs are the most deprived and persecuted ethnic group in the Middle East, with human development indicators at an African level and far below those of the Palestinians. This ethno-national group has been subjected to forced relocation, land confiscation, cultural repression, state terrorism, mass executions and economic disadvantage, despite their land being one of the most oil-rich regions in the world. In all, at least 300,000 hectares of Arab land have been stolen by Tehran since 1979. By way of comparison, in almost 40 years of occupation of the West Bank, the Israelis are estimated to have confiscated some 394,000 hectares of Palestinian land. Being deprived of drinking water is simply the latest atrocity committed against a people.
Although the area has many large rivers — including the Karoon, the Karkeh, and the Shatt al-Arab — water has become salinated by intensive sugar cane production and polluted by the petrochemical industries. This makes the water undrinkable, particularly at the mouth of the Karoon where it feeds into the Shatt al-Arab. In the late 1990s, riots broke out in the oil town of Abadan (which lies on the Shatt Al-Arab) over the lack of clean drinking water. The security forces killed dozens of Ahwazi Arabs in these water riots. The government eventually responded to the problem by supply drinking water in tanks that served villages and towns in the affected areas. The halt in drinking water supply is likely to lead to outbreaks of water-born diseases such as cholera and typhoid — in a region which has more oil than Kuwait and the UAE combined.
The intention behind the action is two-fold: to punish and intimidate the restive Arab population and to drive them off their traditional lands in order to strengthen the regime’s military presence in the region and bolster the economic interests of a predatory religious elite. Ahwazi Arabs are being punished for armed attacks on bus convoys operated by the Rahiyan-e-Nur, a section of the hardline volunteer paramilitary force, the Bassij, which is responsible for visits to the Iran-Iraq War battlefields. The Bassij are hated by the Ahwazi Arabs, largely because the Bassijis are deployed to murder any Arab opponents of the regime.
Tehran’s action is also thought to be part of a long-term plan to force indigenous Arabs from their villages to expand the Arvand Free Zone, a military-industrial complex being developed along the Shatt al-Arab. Arabs living on Minoo Island, south of Abadan, have already faced state intimidation and expulsion. Most Ahwazi Arabs believe this is in line with the government’s ethnic cleansing program, which was outlined in a letter written by the then vice-president Ali Abtahi and leaked to the press in April 2005.
Ultimately, control over the Shatt al-Arab — achieved by settling a loyal non-indigenous population on traditional Arab land — will give Iran a stranglehold over Baghdad and therefore the entire Middle East. The ethnic cleansing of Ahwazi Arabs is nothing less than a prelude to the extension of Iran’s empire. It is also a projection of the principle of Velayat-e-Faqih, which is rule by Shi’ite religious jurisprudence and headed by Iran’s Supreme Leader. The presence of a large, dispossessed, and restless Arab population along the border is simply the last obstacle in the way of Iran’s plan to expand its sphere of influence. What better tactic than to drive them out with disease and starvation?
The issue of Ahwazi Arabs is therefore crucial to security in the Middle East. Yet Ahwazi Arabs can not rely on their Iranian compatriots for support. Iranian “opposition” movements have often indicated that they would stand beside the current regime against Ahwazi Arabs to prevent what they see as the destruction of their country by an “alien” race. This is in the spite of the fact that Ahwazis themselves do not advocate secession. Ahwazi Arabs also have few friends in the Arab world. As they are predominantly Shi’ite, Ahwazis elicit little sympathy from their Sunni Arab brothers. Moreover, many governments in the region are careful not to upset the militaristic and aggressive power lying to their north, viewing the Ahwazi issue as a struggle that could cause them unnecessary problems were they to be involved.
If the Iranian regime is to be prevented from driving the Ahwazi Arabs literally off the map, then it’s vital that their predicament be placed firmly on the political map here in the West as well as the Arab world. International solidarity is essential for ending the persecution of Ahwazi Arabs and arguably more important than the Palestinian issue in order for securing regional political stability — particularly in Iraq.
Daniel Brett is the Chairman of the British Ahwazi Friendship Society.
What a joke this article is.
But its sad that it takes place on pajamas media.
The so called awazi arab is a term that mr.Brett and his kind have come up with.ofcourse they are supported by goverments who like to see balkanization of iran.
I can tell you that in southern iran people hate islamic republic like rest of iran yet tehy have never concider themselves as non iranians or awazai arab as this puppet calls them.
Do not bee fooled by such articles.
I don’t see how pointing out a serious but neglected human rights issue – the persecution of Ahwazi Arabs – equates to the “Balkanisation” of Iran.
balkanization of iran starts when people like you refer to iranian etnicities
as nationalities. Iran is one nation with mant different etnicities and they have lived with each other in thousands of years,during bad and good time.
Only those with hidden agenda can come up with terms like ahwazi arab.
Iranians people man enemy is the islamic republic occupying iran, they do not descriminate when in comes to cimes against humanity regardless of what part of Iran you live.Then people like yourself who promote foreign agenda are on the list of most hated in Iran.
Puppets have come and gone while Iran and Iranians have stand tall.
Down with islamic repulic
Long live IRAN
You have just proven the point I made in the penultimate paragraph – persecuted Ahwazi Arabs do not have the sympathy or solidarity of the so-called opposition, which has not issued one appeal against the mass execution of Ahwazi Arab rights activists and which continues to spout the regime’s propaganda against them, accusing them of being “foreign puppets.” Ahwazi Arabs cannot rely on these “opposition” groups, so they have to rely on support from the international community.
every Iran’s regimes has policies toward alahwaz to not letting this case coming up in Arab world and also not become international cause.it is very clear that if the regime does not let international media come to alahwaz it means that he does not want the world discover its crimes in alahwaz. the regime bans ahwazis from water,having local media,benefiting from the oil produced in ahwazi lands,studying in their language,watching satellite TV’s,etc
why world just see Darfur as humane cause and tolerating the racist tyrannic regime of Iran to continue committing crimes in alahwaz.thanks for Dan and any other free media that support human rights causes.
Thank you PJM for this article. It is well researched and it is 100% true.
As an Arab-Iranian and an indigenous Arab from the Ahwaz region, (Ahwazi-Arab), I can tell my Persian-Iranian compatriots in the so called opposition that should Iran ever faces balkanization- they and only they- will be the cause by not supporting our just struggle for justice, democracy, devolution of power and autonomy within Iranian borders. If they try to insist on denying our very existence if 4.5 to 5 mullions, then all bets are off-solidarity is must be mutual. Thank you
Well Mr.Brat people like you are the reason for misstrust.
Iranian opposition groups care about all Iranians and that they believe that the root of the problem which is the Islamic republic must be taken care of so that ALL iranians can live in a secular democracy.
While puppets like you try to highlight part of the Iranian people-while labeling them and seperating them from the whole nation-the real opposition care about all Iranians regardless of etnicty.
We do trust in the power of iranian people while puppets must sell dignity,history and honor to be fed from foregin powers.
Down with IR
LoNG LIVE IRAN
long live to liberty.down with chauvinism.
this kind of persecutions are come from one of racist regime in the world who does not believe in people’s rights to exist(Jewish) nor rights of people to live in peace (ahwazi Arab).plus killing people in Iraq by supporting militias.
I hope world look at inside Iran rather than outside Iran because they will miss 65% of the truth.(Iran is made of more than 65% of non Persian )
yasser says:
every Iran’s regimes has policies toward alahwaz to not letting this case coming up in Arab world and also not become international cause.
ISlamic republic is the problem of the iranian people and they must be overthrown so that Iranians can live ina secular democracy,thats what iranians want.
But you puppets think you have a case not related to iran and you hope for support of Arabs. Do you realize that you just proved that you are a bunch of seperatist who are hated as much as the islamic republic.
I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in Awhaz and he could not curse enough at you and the Islamic republic.
I think most so called Persian opposition groups are suffering from bigotry because they never believe in non Persian nations under their occupation.Persian regimes diverted all non Persian’s history to Persian history.for instance the Elam civilization in alahwaz has been given a Persian label!!!or other part of Iran such as Kurds area or Azeri’s area has given Persian label.thats why most recent so called Persian intellectuals ignoring non Persian histories.I think the idea of one race has gone since Hitler buried.my friend! leave fanatic and bigotry just believe in humanity and dignity of human been.Persia or Iran is named by you not by other nation.we have name for our lands.we have history.do not try to forge the history because it has written before you learn how to write.
anti/dictatur ship says:
racist regime in the world who does not believe in people’s rights to exist(Jewish) nor rights of people to live in peace (ahwazi Arab).plus killing people in Iraq by supporting militias.
Note of the opportunistic nature of these people.
Bringing up Israel to wake up anti iranians sentiments and then connecting it to his case and then again mentioning Iraq in order to fool the reader/
bad news, most of the people on paamas media are educated and no fools.
Now to your point,
Islamic republic is agaust existence of all iranians and on top of that antisemetic hence the stand on Israel. BUT Iranians people including jews and zaraostraind and bahais careless about each others faith and they comcider each other as one. In fact Jewsih Iranians are the people who care most for the ancient iranian culture and it is of outmost importance in their identity.
The term Awhazi arabs do not exist, you label that in order to make you case which you dont have. IR is oppressing all Iranians all over Iran.
In Iraq it is again the IR who is interefring whith iraq internal affairs.
training militia and supporting terrorism. nothing new on that .
However you have similarity of Ir , you want the arab world to interfere in
Iranian peoples affairs so you can make a buck.
You guys should let Brat bring up your case at least he know how to hide his agenda, you are giving it away beautifully.
another another miltiple username of… says
Persia or Iran is named by you not by other nation.we have name for our lands.we have history.do not try to forge the history because it has written before you learn how to write.
Do you know whay you have no case…. that is bacuase you dont know anything about history and you are not shy to expose it.
The name Iran can be traced back 540 bc The ancient spelling of the word “Iranian” literary means noble in Old Persian and Sanskrit.
The term Iran (ایران) in modern Persian derives from the Proto-Iranian term Aryānām first attested in Zoroastrianism’s Avesta tradition.[16] Ariya- and Airiia- are also attested as an ethnic designator in Achaemenid inscriptions. The term Ērān from Middle Persian Ērān, Pahlavi ʼyrʼn, is found at the inscription that accompanies the investiture relief of Ardashir I at Naqsh-e Rustam.[17] In this inscription, the king’s appellation in Middle Persian contains the term ērān (Pahlavi: ʼryʼn), while in the Parthian language inscription that accompanies it, Iran is mentioned as aryān. In Ardashir’s time ērān retained this meaning, denoting the people rather than the state.
“look at the signature”:
If you insist on calling us names in Iran (Ahwazi-Arab and Kurds and Turks and Baloch and Jews and others) and labeling us as separatists (when we are not), then it would be a great great honor to separate from the likes of you and reach a conclusion that co-resistance may not be possible with national chauvinists and fascists like you after all.
Note that the supposed Iranian nationalist “opponent” of the regime is quick to distract attention from Tehran’s racist treatment of minorities such as the Ahwazi Arabs. Not even a word of sympathy for those who are being driven from their villages due to thirst and disease imposed on them by the regime in Tehran. The only thing he can do is make baseless accusations and divert debate away from the suffering of persecuted indigenous Ahwazi Arabs.
Nationalist “opposition” groups in the US comprise self-serving political has-beens and no-hopers who worship dead men such as Mossadegh and Pahlavi. Many speak better English than they do Farsi. They have little or no relevance in today’s youthful Iran, where most people were born after the revolution. Their importance is only determined by their wealth, not by their following inside Iran. There are no Ahwazi Arabs following their agenda, so they want to sideline the Ahwazi cause.
Western governments are waking up to this fact. In February, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to protest “vehemently against the execution in Iran on 30 January 2008 at 4 am local time of the Ahwazi activist Zamel Bawi, the 19th Ahwazi activist executed in the last twelve months, and urges the Iranian government to desist from executing the Dutch citizen and human-rights activist Faleh Abdulah al-Mansouri and the UNHCR-registered refugees Rasoul Ali Mazrea and Said Saki, whose resettlement to Norway has been secured, as well as to allow them to proceed to their countries of citizenship or refuge.” http://www.ahwaz.org.uk/2008/02/irans-executions-condemned-by-european.html
The US State Department’s human rights report on Iran stated “the Iranian regime discriminates “on the basis of religion, gender, and ethnicity. It consistently denied minorities their constitutional right to study and use their language in schools, particularly Kurds, Azeris, and Ahwazi Arabs. The poorest areas of the country were those inhabited by ethnic minorities, including the Baluchis in Sistan va Baluchestan Province and Arabs in the southwest. Much of the damage suffered by the citizens of Khuzestan Province during the eight-year war with Iraq has not been repaired; consequently, the quality of life of the largely Arab local population was poor.” (http://www.ahwaz.org.uk/2008/03/us-state-department-iran-persecutes.html)
Yet, the supposed nationalist opponent of the regime claims there are no Ahwazi Arabs, that they don’t exist! Whether he knows it or not, he is serving the regime’s racist agenda.
Iran has not been ruled by Iranians for 1200 years out of the last 1400 years. Present regime included. So blaming the fate of Ahwazis or Kurds or Baluchis or any other ethnicities in Iran on an Iranian government is missing the point.
There is nothin Iranian about the present regime, it is an Islamic Republic.
you just talking about virtual history.when you talking about jews and other religions in Iran you just remember me what current supreme terror leader (khamenei)talks about brotherhood in Iran without mentioning the nations under their occupation such as Kurds,Arabs,…you just other face of current regime.in another word second face of a Pars currency.you thinking about super race (Persian) and the current regime and its intellectuals also like you thinking about Shia and exporting their religion and force other to accept it.
my friend the hidden agenda is inside your though.nations in Iran have experienced your way of persecutions when Reza Shah and his son were on power.now the secret agendas are inside the current regime.I challenge you to believe a bit in democracy.Shah was secular but was against Jewish and Arabs.you just want to bring back your empire which had nothing for humane except wars and slavery.you are not updated yourself with current needs.millions people in Iran living under your way of thinking (persia,persian,Aria,…)I advise you to go and get contribute in the world and record you name as a humane supporter to be respected not thinking about your race.
you are not credible person to call me poppet.you hypocrite person cause you live in west and you support racism.it is great for you to learn how to respect others.believe me Persian race has become very very bad word among non Persian nations inside current Iran because of your selfishness though.you say you are against the regime but not saying against racism.you are worried to not losing petrol which forcibly stolen from my land (alahwaz).you even do not believe in Kurds or Azeris or Baloch people.for your knowledge Kurds are most want independence from Persian occupation.
I see it this way. Is there any chance to discuss this thing without being labled a chauvinist? Not likely because i am a persian and i had such sorry debates with some iranian arabs that resulted in name callings and stuff like that.
If there is no chance for a healthy debate then i dont have to care about what some separatist arabs think of me. Irans integrity and borders will stay untouched. Where were all those arabs as we all lived a much better life under the shah? Why are they like hyenas waiting for a weak iran? We all no matter if persian, azari, kurd, balouch, lur, gilaki, arab.. are suffering from this animally mullah regime but obviously we got some opportunitic backstabbers who just wait for times like this to beat on an already beaten up country. Why dont you guys come up with an article to save my human rights as a persian? My rights are cut aswell, i had to leave my country and live in excile aswell.
I tell you what, call me whatever you want but Iran does not have a single stone to give up on. Not even one single piece of sand. You want more rights? I am all with you, i want those rights aswell but we all fight for our rights as iranian citizens. You want land? you are not gonna get one. You want to live with your arab brothers? just gather up your things and go over the borders to your arab brothers in iraq. As simple as this.
God save Iran and the iranian soil
you are not credible person to call me poppet cause you hypocrite person lives in west and believes in racism.believe me Persian race has become very very bad word among non Persian nations inside Iran because of your selfishness though.since your first comment no one can see that you ever believe in other nation’s rights(Kurds,Azeris,…).
for your knowledge Kurds are most want independence from Persian occupation.
it is great for you to learn how to respect others.
Why should we give a hoot about the myriad ways hate filled Muslims abuse each other? Muslims clearly don’t. It also becomes clearer with each passing day that neverending Muslim grievances about “abuse” at our infidel hands are simply pretexts to exhort our death and fake excuses to continue waging Jihad.
Think about “Palestine”, and the endless excuses this false cause lends Muslims to openly profess their hatred of us across the entire Islamic world. Who pays 90% of the “Palestinian” living expenses? We lousy “infidels”. So much for the much vaunted Islamic regard for their “brothers”. We see the same hypocrisy exhibited above by posters on both sides of this non-story above.
Islam seems to rob them of all humanity – and it should never be our hopeless thankless job to attempt to give it back to them. As long as they adhere to Islam in any way, our hearts should be immune to the plight which Islam imposes on them all. Islam and all that spews fourth from it is their mess – it is their crime – it is theirs to jettison. We allow ourselves to get dragged into their Islamic sewer by involving ourselves with these Muslim barbarians in any way.
Family members don’t renounce each other
To refer to the chapters of the region’s history and geography is a vain attempt and hardly original. Even the kindergarteners know that the written history of Iran started with the Medes, despite what’s been touted. Then the Achaemenids took over the reigns from the Medes, the people we call the Kurds today. The Medes – the Kurds – established the first consolidated government system in the form of an empire governed by the rule of law.
So, any time that a government whether republic, monarchy, constitutional, socialist, or a theocracy fails to provide its citizens with the most basic of their rights, do we go off half-cocked and get off track and tear and pull at this eclectic quilt that is Iran? Or do we respect each other’s rights, set aside our reluctance and unite in our fight for justice and retain and restore what is being trampled upon? Do family members renounce and repudiate each other upon the slightest quarrel? Do friends forsake each other just because they disagree?
What is this tired old song on a broken record that any time a king or mullah oppresses his people, everyone starts to grope and grab at every corner trying to rip and tear what they can for themselves and set on their way to their uncertain future? Do we not live in the vast expanse that is Iran? Are we not indebted to one another and are our affairs not intricate? Do we not depend on each other?
Throughout the centuries our affairs have become so enigmatic and our accounts so intertwined that even the big three accounting firms could not figure out heads or tails of our affairs even if they combined their all their resources together. How much oil and gas was sent to Kurdestan from Khouzestan? How much lumber from Kurdestan forests have been shipped to Azerbaijan? How many thousand rugs have been sent from Kashan to Tehran? How many mega tons of fruit have been boxed and sent to Kerman from Khorasan? Have only the Gilanis and Mazandaranis enjoyed the fish from the Mazandaran lake? How many Iranians from every corner of the country have sweetened their palate with Soehan from Qom and cotton candy from Yazd?
You see, we are not delving into complex economics and trade, nor social or cultural discussions. We are merely mentioning the mundane, daily needs – the staples. How are these states going to pay their debts upon their secession? To quote Obeyd Zakani, Iranian poet known for his limericks: “it’s unclear which one belongs to whom?” – that is how entangled the state of our affairs.
Anyhow, even if disintegration is the purpose, why not nurse them all back to health and cultivate freedom and prosperity first and then consider federalization and division of a fertile and bountiful garden? Divide and conquer is still a strategy that would yield results, i.e. former Yugoslavia and former Soviet Union. But in the era of global economies, is it wise to break Iran into fractions, most of which would most likely end up as training grounds for Islamist terrorists? Would not a global economy benefit more from a seventy plus million strong consumer market of a united, healthy and democratic Iran?
A decrepit house, its pillars rotting under the force of tyranny , its ceiling caving in from the weight of oppression, and its foundation deteriorating from fanaticism and superstition, is no prize heirloom.
A healthy ewe benefits her keepers by her milk, wool and lambs. But slaughter and divvy it up and each beneficiary will at best get a meal’s worth of mutton.
The onus is on you.
Down with the Islamic Republic.
Long Live Iran.
Chinaski: Are you protecting the regime from accusations of racism? Even the most advanced democracies have problems with racism, so why do you think the Iranian regime is somehow above this? In fact, the situation is far, far worse, with ethnic groups suffering higher rates of poverty and human rights abuse, as the US State Department’s recent human rights report on Iran shows. Yes, everyone is suffering under the current regime, but they suffer differently with ethnic discrimination and persecution an aspect of oppression in Iran. Recognition of this fact does not necessarily mean advocating “Balkanisation” of Iran or ethnic conflict, any more than recognising that women are oppressed in Iran will necessarily lead to an end to marriage and a war between men and women. The Ahwazi Arabs deserve recognition and, if you want a unified Iran, their cause should be an integral part of opposition to the regime, not an embarrassment that no-one should speak of.
I don’t think Ahwazi Arabs are asking for anything more than a fair deal, including the return of confiscated land, some form of devolution of power (many provinces want this), full cultural and political freedoms, a degree of control over their region’s resources, social justice and the right to work and receive a fair wage. How on earth does this offend you? How is it any different to the method of governance in any federal democratic republic, such as the US or Germany, which are both stable democratic nations?
MY question to to Mr. Brett is: what confiscated land? whom the land was confiscated from? and when? What is “fair deal”?
Iranian Arabs have been living in peace with the rest of Iranians all the time except when British have tried to meddle with their affairs. I have no doubt that some injustice has been done to Arabs by Islamic republic regime (same as other ethnic groups) but that is not a justification for claims which have been instigated based on old colonialist policies of western greedy powers. Khuzestan, where I am from, is not home of Arabs only. Other ethnic Iranian groups have been in that region for thousands of years and Arabs just came in after invasion of Iranian lands by Islamic forces. Khuzestan is birth place of civilization on earth according to doccumented facts and living in that region for a few hundreds of years does not provide any ethnic group with status of being single owner of the land.
Speaking of “confiscation” and “occupation” in Khuzestan is just an indication that Mr. Brett does not really know what he is talking about! Those Arabs who are trying to push this idea with support of greedy colonialistic powers can cry as much as they wish and say whatever they want but they are no different than the regime which is currently ruling Iran as far as Iranian national interests. Iranian opposition groups of all kind, support human rights for all ethnic groups and if a few Arabs claim that they can not rely on Iranian opposition just means that they are after some reliable support from certain sources and for certain purposes and do not care about national interests. These Arabs should know that they can reach their goals about human rights if they work with the rest Iranian opposition as part of one nation. That’s the only way. I know for fact that the number of my Arab compatriots who think of themselves as part of Iranian nation is a lot larger than those who have allowed themselvs to be taken advantage of by greedy colinialistic powers in the past and present. That’s why many Iranian Arabs fought against Iraqi forces and gave their life.
If you don’t believe me that Arab land is being confiscated by Tehran, then read the comments of the UN’s housing expert Miloon Kothari after his visit to Iran in 2005. He said:
“When you visit Ahwaz [in the western Iranian province of Khuzestan bordering Iraq] in terms of the very adverse conditions in the neighbourhoods, there are thousands of people living with open sewers, no sanitation, no regular access to water, electricity and no gas connections. I think that the kind of question that arises is, why is that? Why have certain groups not benefited? In addition to this there are a couple of other problems that come up. Again in Khuzestan, you notice that we drove outside the city about 20 km and we visited the areas where large development projects are coming up – sugar cane plantations and other projects along the river – and the estimate we received is that between 200,000 – 250,000 Arab people are being displaced from their villages because of these projects. And the question that comes up in my mind is, why is it that these projects are placed directly on the lands that have been homes for these people for generations? I asked the officials, I asked the people we were with. And there is other land in Khuzestan where projects could have been placed which would have minimised the displacement.
“The third issue in Khuzestan, which is very disturbing, is that there is an attempt being made by the government to build new towns and bring in new people from other provinces. For example, there is the new town of Shirinshah where most of the people being brought into that town are people from Yazd province [in central Iran] – non-Arabs. So the question then is that these people who are being brought there, perhaps for work and lots of incentives, why is it that those jobs are not going to the locals?
“Another point in Khuzestan is that from these deprived neighbourhoods you can actually see the towers of the oil refineries and the flares and all of that money, which is a lot, and it is going out of the province. Even a small percentage would significantly improve things in terms of development.”
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=25364
The truth is that not one “opposition” group of wealthy Iranian exiles wants to acknowledge this fact, which is repeated in countless human rights and UN reports and in resolutions by the European Parliament and the UN General Assembly. Why is that?
If these “opposition” groups actually listened to Ahwazi Arabs and understood them instead of lecturing them and accusing them of separatism whenever ethnic rights are mentioned, then Ahwazi Arabs will gladly join with them. Whatever the historical arguments, the fact is that their homeland was called Arabistan in Farsi in acknowledgement of the Arab character of the region, which enjoyed long periods of autonomy from Tehran. It’s true, secessionism is not a powerful force, but if you continually deride and downplay the Ahwazi Arab cause, then what alternative is there for these people?
note that Mr.Brett support for his claim on Iranian territory comes soley from a meaningless document from UN and no historical fact whatsoever.
The land of Iran belongs to Iran and its people.If you think you can take a piece of Iran and add it to Arab country you are mistaking.
If you had the guts you would have published it were there are Iranian visitors even though you seem to have little to deal with here as well.
Your intention to fool the uninformed American public has failed!
You are a brave and honest man therefore always you support oppressed nationalities wherever they are and i ask Persians to stop talking about hitory and let us build the future and you must remember that Iran is a multi-ethnic Country , do not forget the Persians are just 35% of the population and they 100% of power and the rest are kurd ,turk ,blush ,gilak ,arab and lour.
Dear Mr. Brett,
It is very interesting for me that you based your article on a single report about adequate housing and related issues and coming up with this conclusion of “occupied territories” for Khuzestan only! I definitely agree with you that current government in Iran is treating Khuzestan as well as the rest of the whole country as “coccupied territories” but that does not mean that Iranian government/people has really occupied a territory which does not belong to them. The story of inadequate housing and other things is not limited to Khuzestan. Just remember that I AM FROM Khuzestan and not someone like you who does not understand what does that mean! When I say I am from Khuzestan it means I was born there and lived there for a period of my life, I went to school there, I worked there, I have had many friends there (and still do) from whom some were Arabs too, and I know what is like to be there! But, I have also been in other parts of the country, as an Iranian, and have seen other people’s life too.
To me, you don’t seem to have much information about the subject of the argument that you are trying to sell to your readers and have not bothered yourself to do some research in that direction before jumping to your conclusions. Khuzestan like other parts of the country, belongs to all Iranians and every Iranian has right to move there and work and live there as well as any Khuzestani can live to other parts of the country and do the same (they have been doing so as long as I remember).
In another part of your response, like before, you speak about relation between Ahwazi Arabs and Iranian opposition which makes me come to this: what has made you think Iranian opposition have not been in contact with Iranian Arabs (or listen to Khuzestani Arabs as you put it) who consider themselves as part of Iranian opposition to save their nation from oppressive Islamic regime? where are your facts and sources on that? Which Arabs do you know and which Arabs are you tallking about?
I has become very obvious to me that you really have no valid information on the subject of the issue that you are trying to talk about and other than some baseless and shallow arguments, I really don’t see anything worthy of much discussion in your arguments. This matter that some Iranians, Arab or otherwise, have sold themselves to greedy colonialist powers for materialistic gains does not surprise me at all. In fact, this is no surprise in any nation as we have seen many from Americans, Israelies, Russians, British and many many others to sell themselves to the enemy of their nations for same kind of reasons. Having a few Iranian Arabs or Iranians of other ethnic groups who do such thing is not specific to them and should not be extended to all Iranian Arabs.
Mr. Brett deserves lots of credit for this informtaive article.
I am an Arab-Iranian from the al-Ahwaz region (Khuzestan) in southwest Iran.
In Iran, some 5 million Ahwazi-Arab are being treated like 2nd and 3rd class citizens and live in abject poverty while their ancestral land produces 4.5 million barrel of oil daily at the tune of $60 billion per year that all of goes to the mullahs coffer in Tehran (some of it funds terrorist in Iraq and elsewhere).
The Iranian government deliberately keeps the Arab-inhabited areas of Khuzestan economically depressed.
The al-Ahwaz province is totally militarized and no journalist is allowed to go to Ahwaz from Tehran (the press corp. is specifically prohibited to do so).
While all Iranians suffer under the Mullahs but Ahwazi-Arabs are barred from studying and speak their language, wear traditional dress, participate in the local government etc. Ahwazis cannot wear their national and ethnic dress and costume in official centers. They are a people ignored, they are non-official.
The policies of the Islamic Republic, like its predecessor, are based on the elimination of the national identity of Ahwazi-Arabs, and to a lesser degree, other nationalities such as the Turks, Kurds, Baluchis and Turkmen
Islamic Republic government continues the ethnic cleansing, forced assimilation, and forced resettlement policy of the previous government to expel indigenous Ahwazi-Arab population out of Khuzestan by providing economic incentives and enticements to re-settle non- Arab population on the expropriated Arab farmlands. This policy is intended to dilute or de-populate the towns and villages of Khuzestan from indigenous Arabs.
In most villages of Arab regions there are no schools.
Indigenous Ahwazi Arab students drop out of schools at 30% during elementary, 50% during secondary and 70% during high school because they are forced to study a so called official language, a language that is not their native.
The regime does not permit any genuine Arabic newspapers or any other types of media in Khuzestan (al-Ahwaz). Ahwazis are excluded from the scene in the press and mass media. Instead, we see a systematic campaign of hatred and misrepresentation of indigenous Ahwazi Arabs in Iranian media; again a common denominator of the previous and the current regime.
Iranian government authorities in Khuzestan refuse to register and issue birth identity cards to indigenous Arab newborn-babies who do not assume Persian or Shiite names.
Now, as in the previous regime, governor general of Khuzestan, all other province’s political, military and security commanders, officers, mayors and all high and mid-level government officials of Khuzestan, have consistently been appointed from non-Arabs outside of the native Arab population.
I explain what is going on in my blog:
Persians and Hollywood
http://oslonor.blogspot.com
Also see:
The Policy of Turkification of Iran
Islamic Fundamentalism Made in USA
Orange Revolution in Iran
The Azeri Turk regime in Tehran claims that it is a “Persian” regime. It even calls its air force as Persian Air Force. But is it true? The following shows ethnic unrest and uprising among the core of Persian tribes in south west Iran: (Qashqaiis are Turkish speaking Persians”)
Another source of unrest seems to be flaring up in a remote area of Iran, where central official control is faltering. Last month and armed revolt instigated by Bakhtiari, Lor and Ghashghai tribes comprising over three million, against the Islamic Regime was reported by clandestine news networks. There were claims of freedom seeking tribal fighters in the Isfahan and surrounding provinces which began fighting local Islamic Regime forces in an attempt to free their villages from the Islamic Regime’s control. According to these reports, the Semirom area, some 590km from Tehran, which is on the Ghashghai tribal migrations route, apparently saw heavy fighting occurred in between Isfahan Province and Yassooj further south, which is the center of the Boyer-Ahmadi tribal territory. Local fighters from the various tribes, confronted Islamic Regime paramilitary forces – the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and the Bassij . The heaviest fighting took place apparently at a point around Yassooj and in the Province of Fars which was labeled the Red Line which was not to be crossed by the central Regime forces.
Much of the unrest is said to stem from the Islamic Regime’s on-going efforts to disarm the tribes and put religious leaders in charge of them instead of their traditional Khans. The rough and difficult mountainous terrain, which severely limits mobile forces and the stiff resistance put up by the tribes, have prevented government militias from penetrating into Bakhtiari and Ghashghai tribal areas The tribe leaders hope, perhaps somewhat premature, that their uprising will spread south to Shiraz and Masjid Soleiman in the Khuzestan oil province ( link to our story) and even become a national uprising across the country.
Al Saeidi
You are no different than mullahs who are running Iran right now. They lie a lot and you lie a lot too. You can lie as much as you want for American readers but those who are from Khuzestan and know Khuzestan, know this very well that you wrote a lot of lies in your post.
If you are Iranian then you should know that Arabic is the only language other than English which has been taught in Iranian schools since many years before the Islamic revolution in 1979. Bringing some statistic with unclear source does not prove any point of yours. Many villages across the country do not have schools and Khuzestan is no different in that sense. WHatever Islamic government has done does not justify such claims as you brought up as even many Khuzestani Arabs have a share in what is being done in Khuzestan by Islamic government. Head of Kabi tribe used to be Mayor of the most important town in Khuzestan and there have always been many of other people from other Arab tribes who also held governmental positions in other parts of Khuzestan for many years. Al Naser tribe leaders and Sheikh Mojahed used to be most influential contractors of NIOC for many years in Khuzestan. There is a lot more than this and all I can say to you is that you either lie on purpose or are grossly misinformed about Arabs in Khuzestan. I know that a few Arabs (like some others from other parts of Iran) like a exaggerate about many issues to justify their baseless claims but you should know that there are many who can reveal your lies and exaggerations and open your eyes if you are after real information rather than making silly statements. For example you may be able to sell your claim about schools and education in Arab villages to some ignorant American but you can not do the same to me because my brother used to work as a teacher in Arab villages. and just to let you know, the number of people like me is not that small.
Abu Muslim: My argument that Ahwazi Arabs suffer disproportionately due to their ethnicity is backed up by reports from human rights organisations, the UN and multilateral bodies such as the European Parliament and the European Presidency – even Iranian human rights activists such as Emad Baghi have spoken out against the treatment of Ahwazi Arabs in Iran. He said that “while the people of Khuzestan sit on Iran’s most valuable resources, they are amongst the poorest in the country” and spoke of how “this kind of ethnic issue is rooted in the poverty, socio-economic deprivation and accumulated repressed complexes.” Amnesty International has repeatedly stated that Ahwazi Arabs are discriminated against and persecuted – http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ACT60/011/2006/en/ACT600112006en.html
Your argument that the regime does not persecute on the basis of ethnicity is based on your own biased anecdotes – and I have no way of knowing whether you are telling the truth. Ultimately, an independent observer of this debate will look at the objective evidence contained in the reports I mentioned, not the trading of accusations we’ve seen here. The weight of evidence backs my argument.
Have the monarchist and republican “opposition” groups contacted Ahwazi Arabs? I know for a fact that international human rights groups such as Amnesty International have been lobbied intensively by these groups to censor all mention of the persecution of Arabs. I know for a fact that bodies such as the Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation routinely come under fire from these groups whenever they campaign for Ahwazi Arab rights activists who face torture and execution. I constantly receive abusive and threatening emails and phone calls from these so-called opponents of the regime. The aggressive and hysterical reaction to the Ahwazi Arab cause is the reason why you will find that monarchist and republican parties, which are almost exclusively based in the US, are devoid of Arabs. Not one Arab rallies to their cause because they will never raise campaign against the land confiscation, mass execution and cultural repression that Ahwazi Arabs are subjected to.
I note that you disagree with the premise of my argument – that Ahwazi Arabs suffer persecution. OK, that’s your opinion. But you then go on to portray any Ahwazi Arab who agrees with me as a liar, “sold themselves to greedy colonialist powers for materialistic gains”, “no different than mullahs who are running Iran right now.” If you malign and libel Ahwazi Arab activists in this way, is it any wonder that they call you chauvinistic? When you call them puppets of foreign powers (with absolutely no proof to back your assertions), are you not as bad as the current regime?
The future of Iran turns on what the Ahwazi Arabs do because they are located in the oil-rich region that serves as the motor of the Iranian economy. That’s why Ahwazi Arabs are facing a violent campaign of ethnic cleansing.
which are happened In Ahwaz. It is too sad while we see some of Persians ignorance all these documents. I am also asked the world solidarity for help the Ahwazi Arab in Iran. IT is so shame that in the 21th century we hear about ethnic cleansing in our world still. The regime of Iran is really terrorist.
Daniel Brett
You are repeating the same things that you stated earlier without adding anything new. The only difference is the order of the words and sentences. You are telling me that your arguments are backed up by “reports” from organizations and then you refer to one document which is about treatment of Khuzestanis by current Islamic regime as a proof. Dear friend, I don’t know who you are but going by your name, you are not an Ahwazi or a Khuzestani. My sister and my brother are living in Ahwaz right now. I have relatives all over Khuzestan. I have lived and worked most of my life in Khuzestan. You can not tell me that you know Khuzestan better than me or you favor Ahwazi ans Khuzestani people more than me. You can tell other readers whatever you like but don’t expect me to agree with you when I KNOW the facts and show you the holes in your arguments. You can call me anything you wish but I assure you that will not have any effect on me and does not make your arguments more credible.
If your friend or supporter comes hear and LIES about some facts then I can not call it anything but LIE. I am personally not worried that your little article can have any effect over the true patriotic Khuzestani and Ahwazi population especially in the field but since I came across this place by fluke and saw this extremely poor article as far as real information, then I decided to share my points of view. Apparently you have already made your mind and decided that Khuzestan is “occupied territories” and was “confiscated” by Iranian government which tells me a lot about how poorly informed you are about history and background of the region and then you want to explain to me that Khuzestanis are more supressed by Iranian government just based on their ehnicity which is absolutely misleading your readers about facts in Iran. There is nothing in any of the reports indicating that Khuzestani Arabs are treated worse or better than any other ethnic group in Iran.
As I mentioned earlier, Khuzestani Arabs have been and continue to be part of the government and some of them actually are working with current regime (I was questioned by one of them one) exactly like others from other places and ethnic groups. Many of those who collaborate with Islamic regime in Iraq are Khuzestani Arabs who shuttle to other side of border easily and freely everyday. remember that I LIVED THERE and I KNOW THESE FACTS.
For tha last time I repeat that you have no real valid argument and everything in your writings here tells me that you have no information about the subject of your own argument which is based on seperating Ahwazi from rest of Iranians. This a dream which will never materialize. I am personally for more share for Khuzestanis (in general, not just Arabs) in self governing and budgeting of the province but that is far from what you claim here about “land confiscation” and “occupied territories” which is totally ridiculous and silly to a Khuzestani. Iranian Arabs own almost all palm tree farms around Ahwaz, Khoramshahr and Abadan but the oil resources mostly come from where there is no or little Arabs live there. Ahwaz and Khuramshahr are the only cities with major Arab population and from those Ahwaz has some oil resources around it.
Iranian government in the past (prior to revolution in 1979) had invested billions of dollars in Khuzestan in which many Arabs worked and still working. These investments include many industrial units in different fields, shipping and receiving facilities, refining and petrochemical plants, heavy machinary industries, military installations and factories. It is obvious that any nation should guard its territory and investments against ill minded agressors and no body can tell Iranians why they have military installments in Khuzestan or elsewhere within the boundaries of their own territory
That’s all I have to say here. I don’t think I will have extra time to waste on this useless discussion about meaningless and baseless arguments which are repeatedly brought up by you without any knowledge about the facts in the filed.
Abu Muslim: “You are repeating the same things that you stated earlier without adding anything new.”
I am just trying to make it clearer for you, because you appear to be unwilling to listen to the facts, as documented time and again by multilateral agencies and human rights organisations. I can refer to all these documents and list a whole number of URLs, but you obviously want to close your ears to this. No amount of evidence presented to you will shift you from your position. Either you are blind and deaf to the persecution of Ahwazi Arabs, or you support the regime’s racism.
I know hundreds of Ahwazi Arabs, perhaps more than you. Most of them are political refugees and some have been incarcerated and tortured. I am well qualified to talk about the persecution Ahwazi Arabs and they will back up my argument.
Mr. Daniel Brett: You statements on Iranian Arabs in Khuzestan is entirely correct. We have reports from people in Khuzestan who confirm what you say. We have an Azeri Turk tribalist regime in Tehran who is hiding behind “Persian identity”. Your statements are correct even if your organisation was a part of some kind of “imperialist conspiracy”. That is entirely irrelevant. I only suggest two corrections to your statements. The Arabs in Khuzestan do not call themselves Al-Ahwazi arabs. They are Iranian Arabs and they are as natives to Iran as anybody else. Arabs do not live only in Ahwaz but live in other parts of Khuzestan too. Anti-arabism is Azeri Turks ticket to becoming “Persians” and that is why they use these poor arabs who do not even have drinking water in this kind of politics. The second correction is that the Azeri Turk tribalist regime in Tehran has nothing to do with any Persians. The people of Iraq call this regime for Saffavids meaning they are Azeri Turk Saffavids from 15 century A.D. who have appeared again in Iran.
regards
Oslonor
P.S. We have always defended Arabs in Khuzestan in our blogs.
Persians and Hollywood
http://oslonor.blogspot.com
(Persian history from visionary to reality)
Persians, which were called the Aryans, were one of the wandering tribes lived in the wild, freezing fields of Siberia . They lived miserably in the severe cold weather and were looking for good land to feed their flocks. Step-by-step they came to the land that is now called Iran .
At the beginning Persians wagged savage wars against the ancient folks of this land and overthrew the civilization of Elam , which was the most important civilization in Mesopotamia (bien-Alnahrien) that dominated a large area of Iran . Elam people had their own alphabets, language, culture and religion. They belonged to the race of Sami, with the capital city of Sousia .
Then the Persians formed the first traditional government of Achaemenian. The main base of them was located in Fars . However, much of the information obtained by the Achaemenian culture and language is not true or accurate. It is because the stories in the history books of ancient Persia were written without supportive evidence and with subjective persuasion. All the chauvinisms and prides from racist Persians could be thought of as the reason behind this vision. They were looking for the created cultures of Aryan people that in reality did not exist.
During that period of time, Persinas were the immigrant people in this area. They settled there and continued to forcefully dominate the minority ethnics of Iran . But according to Naser Por Pirar who is an author and also an expert in Persian history, those written stories of ancient Iranian need to be corrected. After the Alexandra Macedonian attacked Persia , the Macedonians and successors of them (which are called solokiians) dominated this land until the Arabs overthrew the Solokiians and conquered Iran .
When one goes deeply into Mr. Naser’s books, it becomes clear that the buildings of ancient Persia were really Elamian and some of them were just built during last two centuries by English, German and Russian historians and tourists, who had the specific mission to fabricate ancient Persian history. These philosophers did not intend to find the faults or truth of this immigrant people. Instead, they merely wanted to create something to distinguish the history in the Middle East between the Persians and the Arabs.
The Persians did not even have their own alphabets in the language. In the ancient time, they used the alphabets of the folks of Mesopotamia ; in the modern time, they use the Arabic alphabets. They tried to steal the culture of the people of Middle East and changed their names.
Mr. Naser is probably one of the few Persians who have the living conscience to tell all about the truth against that darkness in Persian history. He has proved that the empires of Ashkanian and Sasanina were just all in a dream, and that they never existed in the ancient time of Iran . He also showed in his books that the Zerdasht religion has not been found yet.
In the film of Akran 300, which went on the screen of cinema in the USA, we can see that the Persians have taken the reaction and would not like to believe that Persians are not in the level of culture which they want to be believed, and that their civilization in the ancient time was no higher than other civilizations. Mr. Naser has been warning those chauvinistic and racist Persians to stop the visionary fine culture and begin to accept that those Iranian history stories were created.
The Chauvinistic Persians have in their sick minds just one vision: How are they able to dominate the Middle East and eventually the world? But I want to tell them that their dream is, at the end, to annihilate them.
They have continued to take terrorizing actions, attacking the lands of the Middle East since 1925. We all know that the people called Iran Persia until 1925 and there were lots of lands around Persia , which had been independent or autonomous. With the appearance of the monarch Rezakhan and the victory of the Russian communism revolution in October 1917, there was a lot of new politics taken place in Iran that took the minority under forceful domination.
England had feared the Bolshevik revolution and Russian at that time. England was also scared that communism ruled the Arab gulf, then from Iran gaining access eventually to India . At that time India was an important colony for England . England changed their politics in the Middle East especially for Iran . Then they agreed with Rezakhan to switch the minorities to autonomous lands.
Rezakhan overthrew the sovereignty government of Shiekh Kha’al in Al-Ahwaz (which was named by Iranian regime in 1936 Khuzestan) and annexed to Iran forcefully. Balochestan: homeland of the Baloch people was separated by England from Balochestan of Pakistan and annexed to Iran in First World War (for your reference please read the books of Jawaharlal Nehro, Glimpses of World History). Rezakhan overthrew the autonomous government of Azerbaijan . And the autonomous government of Kurdestan was dominated by Ghodhi Mohammad and overthrown by Rezakhan. In fact Iran has been created by many minorities and lands which were forcefully annexed to Persia in modern time, from about hundred years ago.
By studying the life of Rezakhan, we know that he was a racist and the result theocratic regime is much dangerous , because Iranian theocratic regime carries the religion’s philosophy of Safwi Shiite of king Smail Alsafawi, (In 1505 King Smail Alsawi announced the Shiite religion as the official religion for Iran , standing against the Othmani sonni empire). This dangerous religion is built on violence. We can see that the terrorizing actions by Iranian regime in Iraq , Al-Ahwaz (Khuzestan), are too holy for Shiite regime of Iran to dominate the Middle East . Supporting the militia of Iraqi (Elbadr and militia of Mahdi in Iraq ) and fundamentalism in Afghanistan and the Middle East, Hebolla in Lebanon , armies of Alghods, which are the terrorizing branch of this regime, have been the Safawi Shiite philosophy. Theocratic and terrorizing regime of Iran by proliferation of mass disasters with fundamentalism Shiite ideology wants to bring forth the existence of the visionary empire of Persia , which never existed in the ancient time.
Having planted this sick ideology in their mind, they are ready to destroy the thousands of peaceful lives and bring forth blood shedding to a beautiful culture, and then go on to disturb the peace of the whole world. So it is the world’s duty to prevent them, as we are ready to do that. Together, we should create peace and overthrow the evil regime of Iran , which otherwise will continue to threaten the world.
wow wow wow… that was a real fascinating “story”. and you call others racist and chauvinist? hahahaha. thanks for th joke.
bottom line is that these people like bratare looking for funds and your taxmoney. In reality they have no support among the iranian people.
ALL iranians are in this together and once they overthrow the regime and establish a secular democracy puppets like above will be dropped to trashcan.
Long Live IRAN
Down with Islamic Republic
“look at the signature”: You say “ALL iranians are in this together and once they overthrow the regime and establish a secular democracy puppets like above will be dropped to trashcan.”
Does this mean you support the elimination of ethnic minority rights activists by executing them or forcing them to leave Iran altogether? A plural secular democracy would respect all opinion. It is a shame that there are some here who want to impose constraints on democracy and free speech by accusing those they disagree with of being “foreign agents” – without a shred proof, of course.
the proof of your kind is the article you have written above.
Iran occupied territories that mean you consider Iran as seperate entity and that alone highlight your agenda.
Iranian etnicities which make up iranian people long for a secular democracy
where everyone is equal in rights and burdens.
If you really cared about Iranians you would do so for all of them.You are trying to fish in the muddy waters.
If this British guy really cares about human right and freedom of people he should support return of Northtern Ireland to the Irish. He should support independence and freedom of Northern Ireland from English Yoke. He should denounce English tyrany as well.
Kia: Northern Ireland had a referendum on devolution as a result of a peace agreement between the British government and the republican and loyalist movements. That referendum approved devolution and now there is a cross-party coalition government in Northern Ireland, which remains a part of the UK with the consent of the people. Once a country accepts the principle of self-determination and equality for provinces such as Northern Ireland, separatist tendencies diminish. I have said repeatedly that Khuzestan and other Iranian provinces with large non-Persian ethnic groups that hold long-standing grievances should be given devolution in order to ensure Iran’s unity and territorial integrity. Federalism is a constitutional arrangement that has worked well for many mature and stable democracies such as the US and Germany. What I find puzzling is the tendency of many nationalists to portray federalism as separatism and, moreover, accuse supporters of federalism “foreign agents”. Many of these elements are the same ones that seek foreign support to overthrow the current regime. I don’t know whether they regard such a concept as undermining the benefits they see from the centralisation of power in Iran – a process that has merely led to totalitarianism under both the Pahlavi monarchy and the Islamic republic.
Bratt you have to decide they way you want this played.
In you article your seperatis agenda is obvious,but when you realized that there are Iranaians active on this site as well you chose to flip to the other side and denouncing seperatism and instead promoting federalism.
We are wll aware of your tactics, among foreigners you talk about occupied alahwazi territory and among iranians you talk about a united iran with federal system.
We denounce seperatists and concider them as much as enemy as the Islamic republic. For our beloved country men and women in ahVaz and other part of Iran we care and one the IR is overnthworn all iranian citizen should have the basic bennefit and living standard fit for iranians.
Where is the separatist agenda in my article? Land has been confiscated from Arabs in Khuzestan by the current regime for industrial and military purposes and to settle people from outside the province. This was confirmed by the UN Special Rapporteur Miloon Kothari. The problem of water quality in the area is well-known and Iranian scientists have call it an environmental disaster zone. Human rights organisations have claimed that the regime is trying to push the local population out. Ahwazi Arab activists believe this is part of the regime’s attempt to extend its control over the Middle East and to collectively punish an ethnic group that opposes it. None of these points indicate that I am supportive of separatism, they are simply statements of fact.
The term “Iran’s Occupied Territories” was intended to draw parallels with the situation facing Arabs in the West Bank, which the Iranian regime claims to support when it itself is creating a similar situation for its own Arab population. But on a number of occasions, I and my colleagues have said that separatism is not achievable and fighting for independence will solve nothing.
Please read the article I wrote, in which I said that federalism, not separatism, is the only solution for Iran’s minorities. It is here in English – http://www.gozaar.org/template1.php?id=351&language=english – and here in Persian – http://www.gozaar.org/template1.php?id=351&language=persian
Here is an extract:
“The denial of constitutional rights is the surest sign that Ahwazi Arabs cannot expect freedom and justice under the Islamic Republic. The question is: what is the alternative? As yet, only a minority support pan-Arab and separatist parties … The solution is federalism. Many Iranians eschew such a concept, fearing that it would be the first step towards their country’s fragmentation … There is also the fear that local autonomy would make Iran vulnerable to the kind of interference in its domestic affairs seen during certain periods of Iranian history … The notion that Iran would balkanise with the introduction of a federal democratic constitution is based on the supposition that Iran’s minorities are inherently disloyal … Yet, the majority of Ahwazi Arabs did not rally behind Saddam Hussein’s call for pan-Arab unity, but rather fought and died in their thousands against the Iraqi invasion. They have paid and continue to pay a blood price for passing the loyalty test, but are still regarded as an enemy within. It is clear to most Ahwazis that a constitutional commitment to equality is not enough. Equality needs to be accompanied by the devolution of power and a fair redistribution of wealth generated by the abundant resources in their traditional lands.”
I hope this makes it clearer. Instead of attempting to ostracise Ahwazi Arabs, why not approach the issue with an open mind and perhaps even meet with some of these activists? I’ve always told my critics that I am more than willing to meet them face to face, but none have taken me up on the offer. For these people, it is easier to throw brickbats from afar than to participate in an intelligent discussion.
At least we agree on some points.
as you mention the seperatists are almost non-existent in real life eventhough the IR is committing crime against humanity every single day. This is thank to unseparable iranian culture with all its ethnicites.
Saddam believed that he would gain support among Iranians in southern Iran, he along with other were proven wrong.
We care as much as you for citizens in Ahvaz and other parts of Iran.The main reason our beloved people are suffering is the IR. But to single out only one ethnicity and even worse call them nationality will not help our cause.
Iran is one nation with different ethnicities, those who call these ethnicities for nationalities are pursuing a hidden agenda.
Just look at some of the comments here who have lined behind you.
In order to be able to discuss matters we need to be on the same page, otherwise it is waste of time which is luxury we dont have.
To call ethnicities for ethnicities is a good start.
“look at the signature”: I used the term “ethno-national”, which means a shared culture usually in a geographic location. It is not the same as civic nationalism, which enables people to become part of the nation through assimilation. Iran is a nation of many ethno-nationalities, yet it also has a sense of civic nationalism, as you have pointed out. It is the most diverse country in the world. For Iran to succeed in becoming a functional and stable democracy, any constitutional arrangement has to reflect this diversity. Federalism would benefit provinces such as Yazd, Gilan and Mazandaran as much as Khuzestan, Balochistan and Kurdistan, enabling the provinces to check the power of the centre. Since non-Persian ethnonational groups are concentrated in certain regions, a federal system would give them a certain amount of self-governance without making them an exceptional case vis-a-vis other provinces.
Have I singled out an ethnic group? Yes, I have, but not for any nefarious agenda. I support Ahwazi Arabs because they are not as wealthy, well-resourced and politically connected as other groups in Iran. They deserve to have a voice of their own at an international level. But my position is not without controversy within the Ahwazi Arab community, which itself is split between those who are in favour of seeking a constitutional settlement within Iran and those who believe that freedom can only come about through independence. As I believe independence is unrealistic and undesirable, I made a choice to support those who demand greater regional and cultural autonomy but wish to remain Iranian.
Am I arguing that ethnicity is the only political agency in Iran? Of course not. Women, trade unionists, religious groups that do not believe in the Veliyat-e Faqih (including many Shi’ites), secularists, socialists, the merchant class, etc, all have a role in the freedom struggle in Iran, and many Iranians will have more than one identity: gender, religious faith, political ideology, ethnicity and class. Ahwazi Arab women, for instance, face both ethnic discrimination and gender oppression, perhaps the worst in Iran, due to the ethnic group’s low socio-economic position which has left them largely illiterate, impoverished and rigidly patriarchal – social mobility is the best way to free women from gender oppression. The task of any democratic movement is to bring the broad range of political forces on board, and one of them is the Ahwazi Arab rights movement.
While I agree with some of your point I must point that singling out one erhnicitt in one location will cause misunderstanding and even worse create an athmosphare were seperatist-mostly located outside Iran- take advantage and present the struggle of Iranian people in a diffent manner.
Unfortunately the undercover seperatist also pursue the agena of federalism which in fact they admitt hat it is their “first step” approch to seperation hence the rejection of federalism from the oppostion groups.
I believe that you will bennefit if you resolve your differences with nationalistic groups as the people of iran recognize themselves in being iranian first of all and then they concider ethnicity,religion etc…
I know for fact that having representatives from different ethnicities active inside a nationalistic party are far more effective than have seperate group for each ethnicity.after all we are ll into this together.
You may visit http://www.marzeporgohar.org
for such activities.
While I agree with some of your point I must point that singling out one erhnicitt in one location will cause misunderstanding and even worse create an athmosphare were seperatist-mostly located outside Iran- take advantage and present the struggle of Iranian people in a diffent manner.
Unfortunately the undercover seperatist also pursue the agena of federalism which in fact they admitt hat it is their “first step” approch to seperation hence the rejection of federalism from the oppostion groups.
I believe that you will bennefit if you resolve your differences with nationalistic groups as the people of iran recognize themselves in being iranian first of all and then they concider ethnicity,religion etc…
I know for fact that having representatives from different ethnicities active inside a nationalistic party are far more effective than have seperate group for each ethnicity.after all we are ll into this together.
You may visit http://www.marzeporgohar.org
for such activities.
by the way here is a Pan-iranist in Ahvaz reporting the difficulties in ahwaz for VOA.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=508654890134354414
Long Live Iran
and ALL its people
Down with Islamic republic
Mr. Brett should have taken some history lessons before writing this article. Khoosestan has been part of Iran since day one not 1925. Go read about the Sassanian Dynesty to get some info about where the center of their empire was. Gondi Shapoor was the firt Persian university which the Sassanians established on the soil of Khoosestan before the advent of Islam. I suggest that you read more about the bondries of Persia.
FYI the Islamic Republic has violated every body’s rights not only those of the Arabs of Khoosestan.
And I think the last thing the Brits need to do is to defend human rights of the people in the region. We all no what crimes you committed in the region for the past 300 years.
Long live Iran
Federalism is inevitable if Iran becomes democratic. It is not a ruse for separatism. The provincial administrative structures are already there. It simply requires free and fair elections to appoint a provincial assembly. The alternative would be a centralised state that prioritises the interests of an elite in Tehran, which would in no way engender national unity. The question is not about whether federalism will happen because it will. The debate is about the level of power to be devolved to provincial assemblies and how provincial governments are appointed.
For me, this is not the prime issue. I am involved in advocacy and human rights issues for a particular ethnic group in Iran, which has been neglected by those opposition groups that claim to represent national unity. The chief argument is whether or not the current regime discriminates and persecutes on the basis of ethnicity. I believe the argument that it does is irrefutable, given the level of evidence provided by independent NGOs such as Amnesty and UN experts, which I have cited above. What I don’t understand is why these opposition groups regard the acknowledgement of this aspect of the regime’s oppression as such a threat. I have never argued that Ahwazi Arabs are the only oppressed, just that they suffer oppression based on their ethnicity. Recognition of the current regime’s divisive method of oppressing Iranians of certain ethnicities is imperative for any party claiming to work for Iranian national unity. Dismissing this characteristic of the regime as an invention of a British conspiracy is the best way to undermining this unity and preventing these groups from toppling the mullahs.
For the record, I did not say that Khuzestan was part of Iran/Persia from 1925. I said that in 1925, Tehran imposed direct rule over what was then called Arabistan, a region that enjoyed considerable autonomy at the time.
“The US State Department’s human rights report on Iran stated “the Iranian regime discriminates “on the basis of religion, gender, and ethnicity.”
Seems to me the US State Department needs to investigate America.
These are the same things the US has been guilty of for centuries including right this moment.
I agree with federal system, but by the current government, We never fool from groups and parties who would like to make themselves shah once again or using youth to be their myrthirs to being future governer.
All of the caspian nation are one and unique and must be part of the same state as part of iran.
not only having their own right to local governing but also saving their culture, language and nation.
I knew it, you’re cowards, afraid to put up my comments.
Muhammad had spread Islam by force & occupation; Attacking Mecca & Median, etc. etc. etc.
SHow me where peace is part of Islam ?
I don’t expect that you would have the guts to publish my comments.
I would guess that you’re also cowards ?
Cheers & Happy Lovely
I knew it, you’re cowards, afraid to put up my comments.
Muhammad had spread Islam by force & occupation; Attacking Mecca & Median, etc. etc. etc.
SHow me where peace is part of Islam ?
I don’t expect that you would have the guts to publish my comments.
I would guess that you’re also cowards ?
Cheers & Happy Lovely
How truthful !!!!!